Luck may have run out for this West Des Moines woman who can't seem to stay out of trouble

At least five employers have accused Priscilla Ann Heronemus of stealing. But the slight, 30-year-old blonde from West Des Moines has so far been fortunate when she's faced Polk County judges and prosecutors.

Heronemus, who went by the last name Walling until she got married last year, pleaded guilty to her first two felonies in 2014 after ripping off two employers from 2012 to 2014.

Then just 26, she received deferred judgments and avoided prison — not atypical, given her youth and lack of a record.

Later that same year, however, Heronemus was convicted of felony forgery and theft for writing checks to herself at a third employer, Specialty Enterprises of Des Moines.

Her attorney at the time, Sean Spellman, and assistant Polk County attorney Brendan Greiner worked out a plea deal that Judge Robert Blink approved. Heronemus got a five-year suspended sentence and probation in March 2015.

That might have been the point when some, especially a young mother, would decide it was time to straighten up.

In mid-July last year, Heronemus was charged anew — while still on probation for her previous crimes — for padding her pay and covering it up at another employer, court records show.

Folks at Resource Services — a heating and cooling company on Northwest 52nd Avenue in Des Moines — say that they were unaware of Heronemus' previous convictions because she was using her married name. Then, they say, at least $2,379 was gone.

Heronemus, Clark said, claimed her daughter was having multiple heart surgeries this spring and she needed to stay with her.

But when asked to provide proof she was staying at University of Iowa Hospitals, Heronemus allegedly forged a document that contained the signature of a nurse named Megan Dolan.

Iowa’s Board of Nursing confirmed no one with that name was registered as a nurse with the state, and the hospital confirmed the letter was forged, the probation officer's filing said.

Heronemus also told Clark she was hired at Candeo as the director of employment. In fact, she was the director of finance, a position that involved handling money.

Johnston police confirmed Heronemus used a fake Social Security number and fake birthday on her job application. She was fired, and the case is still under investigation, the probation officer’s report shows.

Heronemus worked last year as an account manager for the Des Moines Social Club, but that nonprofit has declined to comment on its internal investigation of her work.

On Thursday, Watchdog contacted the Department of Corrections, which has been supervising Heronemus since her release in 2014.

Spokesman Cord Overton declined to comment on the new allegations of violations, even though they are public under Iowa law.

Polk County Attorney John Sarcone also said he couldn’t comment on the pending case.

But he did say nonviolent offenders typically get a few breaks before a judge is inclined to lock them up: “That’s why I always say, 'If you get to prison, you earned it.'”

Decisions on how to handle thefts often hinge on how much was taken and for how long.

“We can make recommendations as advocates, but the court has the final say,” Sarcone said.

It is clear that before Heronemus' latest arrest last week, her probation officer thought she belonged behind bars.

“It is recommended that the defendant’s probation be revoked (on the 2013 charge) and a prison sentence imposed,” Clark wrote in an April 12 violation report.

But Friday morning, Judge Heather Lauber set a new bond, allowing Heronemus to be released if she came up with $49,000 cash.

As Heronemus’ defense attorney, Timothy McCarthy, worked to negotiate that release, Clark, the probation officer, filed new accusations of violations, seeking a warrant for her arrest.

Heronemus, she said, reported recently that she had been hired as a cashier at the Woodsmith Store in Clive. In fact, she had been hired as the office manager and fired for taking a $3,000 check, Clark said.

And so, McCarthy informed Heronemus and her husband that she would soon be heading back to jail. He declined to comment.

A hearing Saturday was to determine her new bond.

On May 14, another Polk County judge will review a plea that was being negotiated on the string of 2017 charges and the latest violations.

Outside the courthouse Friday, Heronemus paced along the sidewalk, trying to call someone before being sent back to jail.

Whether anyone has gotten through to her remains to be seen.

Lee Rood's Reader's Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Contact her at lrood@dmreg.com, 515-284-8549 on Twitter @leerood or at Facebook.com/readerswatchdog.